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India beat Korea 6-3 in a shootout to clinch bronze in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
A stunning win over a top team often adds an extra spring in the strides of a team and the Indian senior men’s hockey team was sailing in pretty much the same boat going into their bronze medal play-off tie against eighth ranked Korea, in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh after their superb 4-2 victory over world champions Australia on Saturday.
Mind you, the ninth ranked Indians are no strangers as far as featuring in the bronze medal play-off is concerned. The Blue shirts had won five bronze medals so far and the last time it was against Great Britain in 2012. In fact, India had beaten Korea 1-0 in the 2007 edition to win the bronze medal.
On Sunday, it was Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who did a heroic act effecting crucial saves as India beat Korea 6-3 in a shootout after both teams were locked 2-2 in regulation time.
The Sardar Singh-led side appeared to take the positives from that game into Sunday’s tie – Nikkin Thimmaiah, fresh from his magnificent hat-trick against Australia, was at it again putting India ahead in the fifth minute. The Koreans, who are known to mount fightbacks, evident in their 3-3 draw with New Zealand on Saturday, equalized in the second quarter through Hyosik You off a penalty corner.
The Korean joy was short-lived as Satbir Singh, who is making a comeback to the side, regained the lead for India in the 22nd minute. The Koreans again evened things up with another PC conversion by Nam Hyun Woo in the closing stages of the second quarter as both went into half-time locked 2-2. The second half did not produce any goals and the shootout had to be applied.
